Tradespeople employ a wide variety of tools and materials in the performance of their trade. Some materials can be unusual in their shape and dimension, requiring special handling in their transportation. In particular, plumbers and electricians often use materials which are long and cylindrical in shape such as copper tubing, PVC piping and electrical cable. The transport of these materials typically occurs in containers known and sold as conduit carriers. This method of transporting tubing, pipes and cable has become the custom in both the plumbing and electrical trades.
Typical conduit carriers are elongated, hollow structures installed on the roof racks of vehicles used in the plumbing and electrical services, such as full-size vans, minivans and fiat-bed trucks. Currently, there exists two types of conduit carriers. The first and significantly more expensive type consists of aluminum and is sold as a fully enclosable storage container with a spring up rear door for access to the conduit materials. The rear door is hinged to the storage container and encloses the container by means of a latching device.
The second and less expensive type is simply a length of PVC (i.e., polyvinylchloride) pipe with a length and diameter appropriate for the conduit materials to be transported. When installed on a van used for plumbing or electrical services, the PVC pipe is enclosed at the front with a cemented coupling cap. At the back end, where access to the conduit materials is required, the PVC pipe is enclosed by one of two currently used methods. The first method is available commercially and uses a cemented cap that can open as a door by means of a hinge and a latch. The second method is simply an end cap for a PVC pipe that is threaded and adapted to the PVC pipe by tradespeople themselves. The conduit carrier is opened and closed by unscrewing and screwing the cap to the PVC pipe, respectively.
Both of the above mentioned types of conduit carriers and their respective methods of enclosure, however, can present significant problems in gaining access to the enclosed materials since they frequently become inoperable in inclement outdoor conditions. Particularly, in the winter, water and/or snow seeps into the cap threads or the door seals, hinges and latches. Due to the cold weather, the water and snow freezes, thereby causing difficulty in opening the caps or doors and preventing access to the conduit materials. In addition, the hinged doors and latches for enclosing conduit carriers are made of parts which break over time and usage and must be replaced for continued use of the carriers.
A device or apparatus which circumvents the significant problems mentioned above would be particularly useful for tradespeople in the plumbing and electrical professions and consequently, society at large.